Castleview Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our previous inspection, we rated this key question good. At this assessment, the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

All people and most relatives described staff as caring. A person told us, “The staff are delightful and we spend time talking about lots of things. They are kind and thoughtful.” A relative said, “The staff are brilliant they are all lovely they make a fuss of him and he loves that they can have a laugh and a joke with him it really does make a difference.”

Most relatives also told us that staff provided support and care to family members as well as the people living at the home. A relative said, “The staff do offer me drinks and sometimes a sandwich. This last Sunday he had a full roast dinner and ate the lot. They did offer me lunch. The staff on duty were very caring and noticed that I had looked tired. They do look out for me.”

Staff spoke warmly about the people they supported and the relationships they had developed. Comments included, “A smile on their face means everything” and “The residents are the people who make it here and the ones you want to do your job well for.”

We observed kind and respectful interactions throughout our visits. Staff offered reassurance and provided support at a pace that suited individuals' needs and preferences.

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Many staff lived locally and had strong connections to the community. In some cases, staff had known people or their families for many years, which supported the development of trusting and meaningful relationships. A relative told us, “A lot of the staff there have got to know him so well and they treat me like family too.”

Staff understood what was important to people and delivered individualised care which promoted wellbeing, independence and a sense of identity. For example, a person proudly showed us the raised planters they cared for each day, where they grew tomatoes, strawberries, herbs and flowers. Staff also recognised the positive impact animals could have on people's wellbeing. One relative regularly brought in a person's dog to visit and spend time in the home, which helped the person maintain an important connection and supported their emotional wellbeing.

Staff spoke positively about the people they supported and described the importance of taking time to get to know them as individuals. One staff member said, “They teach you things you don't know, it's like having lots of grandparents.”

Staff promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Relatives described a varied programme of opportunities. One relative told us, “They do lovely activities, everybody is invited to take part. They paint, play darts, football, bowls and have music sessions. Last week I got to have a dance with [relative], that was very special. There is a group that bring animals in, a fox, an owl, a snake and a dove. Everyone enjoys it.”

People were supported to make choices about how they spent their time and to maintain interests, hobbies and relationships that were important to them. Staff shared examples people had enjoyed including trips to local cafés and charity shops, football, horse racing, building model aeroplanes, learning a new language, exercising in the gym and using an exercise bike.

People were supported to take part in their local community where this was important to them. Some people had recently started attending a local veterans programme which provided opportunities to meet others with shared experiences and develop new social connections.

Independence was also encouraged through meaningful roles within the home. One person particularly enjoyed helping to prepare activities, set up events and support the activities coordinator, which promoted a sense of purpose, belonging and contribution.

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. They responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the people they supported and how their needs could change. One staff member told us, “We adapt to them, we are like a family.”

People and most relatives told us staff responded appropriately to people's needs. They gave examples of staff recognising and responding appropriately during health-related incidents and providing sensitive emotional support when people became upset or distressed.

A small number of comments received raised concerns about staff response times, access to call bells, variability in staff knowledge and skills, and the level of support provided to some people. We discussed this feedback with the registered manager, who was able to provide context and describe actions taken, or planned, to address the concerns raised.

Health and social care professionals generally told us staff responded appropriately to people's needs. One professional said, “There has been some good examples of working well with people who live with distress, often supporting them particularly well in a person-centred way.”

The provider demonstrated a commitment to staff wellbeing and enablement. Staff told us they felt supported by managers, who were flexible and worked with them to accommodate personal circumstances where possible. Staff spoke positively about the support available to them and said efforts were made to promote a healthy work-life balance.

Staff wellbeing was further promoted through practical initiatives, including the provision of free meals whilst on shift. The provider also demonstrated a commitment to supporting staff during periods of absence and ill health, providing additional support where appropriate. Staff appreciation was also promoted through regular recognition of staff contributions.